Shangul said to Bahrám: “Within my realm
There is a dragon—an exceeding bale—
Which fareth both by land and stream to hunt
The lashing crocodile. Thou mayst devise
A scheme to rid thereof the realm of Hind,
Whose tribute thou shall carry to Írán,
For all the country will assent thereto,

And likewise gifts therefrom of aloe-wood,
Of swords, and goods of all kinds, with the tribute.”
Bahrám replied: “Great king and sovereign,
Whose word is law in Hind! by God, the Just
And Holy One's, command I will cut off
The footing of the dragon from the earth,
But must be shown its lair whereof I know not.”
Shangul accordingly dispatched a guide
To show it to Bahrám who went his way
With thirty horsemen, nobles of Írán
And swordsmen. Hasting to the stream he saw
The dragon mid the gloom, its form, its writhing,
And furiousness, fire flashing from its eyes.
The nobles of Írán with loud exclaims,
And shrewdly troubled at that dragon, said:—
“Hold not this dragon as thou didst the wolf,
O king! the other day. By one mishap
Give not Írán up to the wind, rejoice not
Thy foemen here.”

The bold Bahrám replied:—

“I must entrust my life to all-just God.
If I am doomed to perish by this dragon
My time will be not lengthened or decreased
By hardihood.”

He strung his bow, he chose

Shafts dipped in bane of milk,*

and 'gan to shower them
Down on the dragon, wheeling all the while,
Like horsemen in the fray, to left and right.
He sewed up with steel points the dragon's mouth,
Whose venom scorched the brambles, then he shot
Four arrows at its head, and blood and poison
Poured down its breast. The dragon's body failed
By reason of those shafts, and all the ground
Ran with its gore and bane. Then lightly drew
Bahrán his sword of watered steel and pierced
The dragon's heart right dourly, hacked its neck
With sword and battle-ax, and flung to earth
Its lifeless form. The dragon overthrown,
He turned in duty to the Lord and said:—
“O Judge who judgest righteously! 'tis Thou
That slewest this great dragon, for who else
Hath might enough? Thou art Thy servants' refuge
From every ill.”

He sought the king of Hind,

The noble chieftain of the Sindian host,
And said: “The king is freed from these attacks
By His decree—the Judge and Nourisher's.”
Shangul grieved, hearing this, because Bahrám
Was in the saddle still. He bade that wains
And oxen should convey the dragon's carcase
To plain from forest, while all Hindústán
Invoked upon Írán the All-Just's blessing:—

“For there a cavalier like this was born
To fight with dragons. One who hath such limbs,
Such stature and such bearing cannot be
But equal to the king in his degree.”